Somehow Dexter returned. Not only is our beloved killer of killers back for more blood, he’s now a franchise. With a middling sequel, a baffling prequel, and now, a new series that brings him back from seeming death, Dexter has officially become a horror icon. He might not be killing teenagers at camp or stalking […]
Author: Jesse Swanson
Smoke: A slow burn that never gets going
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. That is especially true for the new Apple TV+ series, Smoke, which is mainly concerned with flames and those shaped by them. In fact, there’s rarely a moment that fire isn’t front and center. It’s the main attraction, and by the end of the first episode it will probably be […]
Too Much: A romcom remix that’s just right
Lena Dunham is back, and she’s brought her favorite type of character along for the ride. Dunham has a knack for writing people who one can charitably describe as “a lot.” At its worst, it quickly becomes tiresome to watch. Despite some initial worries, Too Much proves to have the right balance. Created by Dunham […]
Ironheart: A terrific lead performance bolsters this bumpy ride
I’m endlessly fascinated by the different streaming services and their release strategies. We’re all familiar with the Netflix model of dropping everything all at once, something even they don’t commit to all the time. There’s also the “drop 2 or 3 episodes and then go weekly” model that Prime Video and Apple TV+ are fond […]
Stick: Even Owen Wilson’s charm has limits in this cloying comedy
Ted Lasso was the first big success for Apple TV+. The type of show that reminds people this streaming service exists, an important skill in the over-saturated media landscape. Despite that triumph, there have been very few attempts to copy the program’s winning combo of sports cliches and sentimental comedy. If Apple TV+’s Stick is […]